Gandhian Model May Address Weak Economy Issues: President Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said the Gandhian model of innovation-based enterprises was possibly a solution to address issues arising out of a weak global economy.

"The global economy continued to remain weak and industrial growth has become more jobless in nature, even in emerging economies. In such a scenario, the Gandhian model of decentralised, distributed and diversified innovation-based enterprises is perhaps the best way forward to solve the problems," Mr Mukherjee said, after inaugurating the week-long innovation exhibition at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

He added that Mahatma Gandhi had always wanted to blend modern science and technology with community knowledge and institutions. "His message has become extremely relevant in today's context," he said.

The President added that there was a need that all public and private systems around grassroots innovations become empathetic enablers to further enrich the eco-system around inclusive innovations.

And we need to do it, not just for India, but for the whole world. The emergence of an inclusive innovation eco-system uniquely suited to India requires several more steps than what has already been taken by the government and civil society," he said.

The President also said that the nation must help children to let them discover the fascination of creating something new.

Mr Mukherjee said that India is poised to take the fruits of development through initiatives such as "Start-up India", "Digital India" and "Swachh Bharat".

Later, Mr Mukherjee met the innovation scholars, artists and writers, who are staying in Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of an in-house programme.